A vitreous hemorrhage may be caused by a retinal tear. Sometimes there is so much blood in the eye that direct examination is impossible and we can only guess at the most likely cause. It is the most difficult situation for me to handle as a doctor. Patients lose significant vision as the blood in the middle of the eye physically blocks all light from hitting the retina. While this is … [Read more...]
Does Sleep Cause Retinal Detachments?
July 7, 2010 By 1 Comment
I believe that REM sleep causes retinal tears and then subsequent retinal detachments, that is, I think most of the damage occurs while you are sleeping. While this would be hard to ever prove, there are some compelling arguments for my hypothesis. What is REM sleep? Rapid Eye Movement (REM) is a stage of sleep that occurs every night. During this stage of sleep, the eyes beat back and … [Read more...]
“Top Ten” Eye Emergencies: Part 1
February 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Any vision loss can be scary. Sudden vision loss is even more frightening. There are really only a couple of "true" retinal eye emergencies. I've listed the "top ten," remember that there are many ways to define an emergency. All involve loss of vision, or at least a change in vision, and that alone probably qualifies as an "emergency." By the way, if you have sustained any of these … [Read more...]
Floaters, Are They Normal or due to Diabetic Retinopathy?
September 25, 2009 By 3 Comments
Floaters are generically defined as black spots in your vision. They move to and fro with eye movement. Most of the time they are small, tiny and black, but really can be large and translucent, too. From a doctor's standpoint, size does not matter. New floaters can mean a retinal tear and the development of a retinal detachment. Floaters can develop from a variety of causes such as a … [Read more...]
Retinal Tears and Retinal Detachments
April 28, 2009 By 3 Comments
I just operated on a patient for a retinal detachment in his left eye. He had a previous retinal detachment repaired about 3 years ago. Three years ago, I repaired the retinal detachment by performing a vitrectomy in combination with a scleral buckle. When informed about the need for surgery in the left eye, due to the new retinal detachment, he asked if I had to perform a scleral buckle. He … [Read more...]
